NFL.com Reveals Why Broncos Are 'Sneaky Dangerous'
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The Denver Broncos defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 24-7 in their most dominant win of the season. Sunday’s victory gave Denver its first winning record of the season at 7-6 after starting in a 1-5 hole.
The Bronco’s playoff hopes began to dwindle after last week’s loss to the Houston Texans. However, the Texans were defeated, and the Kansas City Chiefs were upset at home, putting Denver only one game back in the division title race.
Five other AFC teams boast a 7-6 record after Sunday, making the margin for error even smaller for Mile High’s finest. After the win in L.A., the Broncos have reached their highest spot so far in NFL.com's power rankings, just outside the top 10.
Here’s Eric Edholm on Denver’s statement win over the Chargers.
Broncos Rank: 11
“Somehow, some way, the Broncos only trail the Chiefs by one game in the AFC West -- and now, this Sunday’s matchup in Detroit might not be as a rough a road test as it might have looked. Denver’s defense took a tiny step back in the Week 13 loss to the Texans, but the Week 14 win over the Chargers was a huge statement performance. The Bolts turned the ball over twice, were stopped five times on fourth downs, and were 0 for 12 on third downs as Justin Herbert was knocked out of the game. The offense overcame some challenges, including a pick on Russell Wilson’s first pass of the game (which was actually Marvin Mims’ fault). That was the Broncos’ first true turnover on an opening drive this season. They’ve mostly been very good, which makes their first-drive-of-the-second-half struggles perplexing. But otherwise, this team has been sneaky dangerous for a while, even if a lot of folks aren’t ready to admit it.”
Are the Broncos really only one game back from the reigning defending Super Bowl Champion Chiefs? After that horrid start, this 6-1 run feels like the Mile High Magic that was lost seven years ago was rediscovered.
This Broncos team has been sneaky dangerous for some time now, as it's firmly put itself in the playoff conversation. The defense absolutely bullied Justin Herbert and the Chargers.
Herbert finished 9-of-17 for 96 yards and an interception before he left with an index finger injury in the third quarter. His replacement — Easton Stick — had 179 yards on 13 completions and no scores.
The Broncos' defense picked up the slack from last week’s turnover slump with a forced fumble and interception. Denver also held L.A. to 76 total yards on the ground.
It’s wild how successful the Broncos are when they jump out to an early lead. If the Broncos’ defense can keep this momentum going, their last four games should be a breeze.
The offense started disastrously after Russell Wilson swung a pass out to Marvin Mims Jr., who could have made more effort to wrestle the ball away from Chargers’ defensive back Michael Davis.
However, the Broncos' offense chugged along, and Wilson finished 21-of-33 for 244 yards, two touchdowns, and a pick. The Broncos do not boast a high-octane offense, but they have played efficiently enough to keep themselves afloat.
You can count on an insane Wilson-to-Sutton connection at least once a game. Courtland’s one-handed touchdown grab shows why he’s been a Pro Bowl-level talent in 2023.
Next up are the Detroit Lions, who have reverted to their losing ways of late, just before the playoffs. Detroit has become turnover-prone, and its defense has softened up quite a bit, making this a favorable Saturday night matchup.
If the Broncos' smashmouth ground game and takeaway-happy defensive formula hold in Detroit, they’ll crack the top 10 in the NFL power rankings. The playoffs aren’t just a dream anymore.
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